


Unintended Consequences

by Willun



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 10:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14932499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willun/pseuds/Willun
Summary: Blake really wished she didn't have a habit of eavesdropping on conversations.





	Unintended Consequences

Blake exhaled and looked up at the ceiling while she tried to collect her thoughts. She reminded her self it was just an interview. That still didn't alleviate the anxiety as the elevator made its ascent to the top of the tower. Blake was confident that she did not arouse suspicion and there was no background to even check. Not one that Vale would have been curious enough to look into.

Blake ran through all she knew of Beacon and its staff. It was surprising how much information one could find if they looked. But it was still frightening little compared to jobs she had to take when she was an agent for the White Fang. If Blake was honest with herself, that was why she was so anxious. Blake had always built confidence with knowledge. And she knew very little about Ozpin.

Blake walked out of the elevator and it closed behind her with a cold _click_. The Faunus girl nearly jumped at the unexpected sound before she walked into his office. The steady drone of gears clanked around them. Blake noticed he had another teacher present. The blonde woman's hand was tight around a riding crop. Blake stood at attention all the while she forced her nervousness down into the pit of her stomach.

Professor Ozpin stared at the scroll. Thanks to its transparent screen she spotted her name at the top. "Good afternoon Headmaster Ozpin."

The professor looked up and gave her a relaxed smile. "Please be seated Ms. Belladonna. This is a simple interview. Due to the nature of your application, I had felt it was wise to simply introduce my self and my colleague Professor Goodwitch."

Blake politely glanced a greeting to the woman. "Ma'am."

Professor Goodwitch gave a curt nod before she turned her attention to the headmaster. Ozpin closed his scroll and folded his hands on his desk. "Ms. Belladonna, you applied to Beacon with a simple recommendation by the local huntsmen in Vibrant Reef. If I may ask, what would have you done if you had decided to choose something else instead of following their recommendation?"

Blake swallowed thickly at the question. She had no idea if she was honest with herself. It was only by luck that she ended up near the settlement after she had left Adam on that train. She never did plan to help the huntsmen as they were overrun by grim. When she had tried to help them back to their settlement the leader Obs offered if there was any way to return the favor. It was a simple request and she nearly missed it in the hopes of leaving the area quickly before the White Fang started to look for her. With nowhere to go, she had ruefully said ' _I wasn't looking for any kind of reward. I was just passing by to go to Beacon to apply for admission.'_ Obs was only too happy to offer a letter of recommendation when he learned she never went to a school but had combat training. It was the first bout of good luck since she left the White Fang. The gesture was something she would forever be grateful. It also reaffirmed something she long held close to her heart. Something she could never bear to bring up and remind Adam of; there are many good humans.

She knew she was taking too long to answer and answered, "I have been wandering around by myself for a while now. I supposed I would have continued. I had always been one to like to travel. Obsidian offered something I have never had. A secure place to live."

Ozpin nodded. "A place to rest. You are not the first scholarship student to enter Beacon. But I had been curious thanks to Obsidian's glowing recommendation. He felt you had a good head on your shoulders. I spoke to him briefly a few minutes before you walked in."

Blake nodded quietly. That explained the scroll that he stared at on his desk as she walked in.

Ozpin continued. "While there are some bits of information that seemed to be left blank given your background as a drifter, they are not critical for your admission into Beacon. Congratulations Ms. Belladonna. Initiation is two days. Please appear in the central hall with anything you wish to bring for the school year."

Blake relaxed and gave the two a grateful smile. It felt foreign on her mouth but she was too relieved to be self-conscious of it. "Thank you Headmaster. Good day to you, and you Professor Goodwitch."

Blake walked back to the elevator. Her bow twitched as she heard them continue to speak in quiet tones.

_You never asked her what you said you were going to ask Ozpin._ Professor Goodwitch sounded put off.

_There was no need. She wants safety. I would not deny her that. Not after what she did for huntsmen she did not know._

_This isn't the first time you allowed someone into Beacon that I am against this year._

_Jaune Arc is driven, willing to cross lines others would not think of._

Blake walked into the elevator. She was reluctant to close the door as they continued to talk. But they would notice if she stood there with the doors open. She clicked the button to descend to the lobby. The doors to the elevator began to close but not before Ozpin said, _He is a survivor. He would have found a way to become a huntsmen or die trying. If he wasn't accepted, I don't believe he would have settled with a no._

The elevator moved silently down to the bottom floor. Blake exhaled. She understood they knew something about her past. They were just willing to look past it. Judging by the other guy, that was pretty normal. She just felt surprised by the respect in the headmaster's voice when he talked about the other guy. With those thoughts in mind she was far more relaxed as she left Beacon until the first day.

-o-

Blake regarded her team as her partner Yang swung her little sister around like a sack of potatoes while in mid-cheer. Blake smiled slightly at the bond the two had. The youngest of the group was made the leader. And she was another person to have had some kind of circumstance allowed her into Beacon. Blake wondered exactly how many huntsmen were admitted into Beacon that way given how there was a minimum requirement in the schools to even try and apply to the academy.

"Jaune Arc!"

Blake refocused as the next team when their leader was announced. She blinked in surprise as he was knocked over by a simple slap from the girl tall girl with red hair. _Huh._ He hardly looked the part of a trained fighter much less a huntsmen. Blake instantly thought of what Ozpin said. If the blonde haired teen was crossing lines to get in, she was almost curious enough to find out. She let those thoughts go immediately. The last time she was curious, she got involved with Adam. There wasn't a pleasant thought. Blake walked along with her team as the student body was dismissed. Classes would start the next day for the first years and they still had to be assigned a dorm.

Blake followed her team and realized the Schnee seemed less… charitable at the moment. She was not scowling per say. She just seemed more surly. As if she smelled something foul. Blake left that alone and let them walk ahead of her.

"You ok there Blake?"

Yang noticed and slowed down to talk to her. Blake gave Schnee a considering look. "Weiss does not look happy. I wonder when she suddenly looked so down."

Yang just moved her hand to wave off those fears. "Let it go, it's something Ruby and Weiss need to sort out. I kinda saw it happening during our team call out. But we'll see how it goes."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Not even going to tell me?"

Yang laughed as she made them both pick up the pace to catch up to their leader. "You'll figure it out. It wasn't that hard to piece together. Just let them work it out."

Blake nodded still dubious to the whole interaction of the second half of their team but let it slide.

She planned to stay out of the Schnee's way. She was just happy she thought to wear the bow.

-o-

Blake sat with her team while Professor Goodwitch's lecture finished. She could see team Juniper shuffle in their seats. It was pretty common knowledge that Professor Goodwitch did not like Jaune Arc. No one seemed to know why either. The woman always wanted him to go first at the start of the week. It was like clockwork. Blake looked at the professor. She was stern but the only time Blake could call her cold was whenever Jaune was put against his worst matchup. The professor had called it learning to combat against one's weaknesses.

If Blake had not overheard Headmaster Ozpins' conversation before she was admitted into Beacon she would have been just as baffled. She knew better. And that just made her all the more confused for a completely different reason. He was completely untrained. No combat ability what so ever. Blake tried to think maybe this was Goodwitch's motivation to have him learn against the most aggressive person in first year. A trial by fire.

"Jaune Arc…" She called.

Blake saw his team all slump their shoulders. Each with a resigned look on their face. She scowled slightly. If they had thought to get any different outcome, why did they not do anything? She looked over to her team leader. Ruby slumped with team Juniper. It was just like with Cardin and the poor rabbit faunus. Everyone looked around in sympathy but everyone just let it happen.

Blake lamented her own inaction at the bullying she saw blatantly out in the open. She was too scared to even try less being found as a faunus. It was a twisted sense of self-preservation. Cardin was the exact thing Adam had rebelled against. That it could have been here at the academy scared her more than she would care to admit. Blake looked up to see Professor Goodwitch not even making an effort to pretend she was not looking for a specific name.

"I'm going to regret this aren't I?" She muttered just loud enough for Yang to have looked over to her in question. Blake just raised her hand, "Professor, I'll fight."

Before she realized what she had done, Blake stood in front of a very confused Jaune. She unlatched Gambol Shroud from her hip and pulled the gun in front of her with both hands ready on the grip.

"Hello Blake." Jaune said nervously.

Blake merely raised an eyebrow. Jaune had always been polite. "Hello Jaune. You ready for this?"

Jaune laughed ruefully at himself. "Nope. I don't know why you volunteered, but this probably won't take you long." Jaune looked away shamefaced as he pulled his shield up and sword low behind him.

Blake sighed at the answer. Where was the driven guy she heard about? The survivor? If that was what Ozpin called him, Blake could see none of that now. "You are faster thank you think you are Jaune." She offered helpfully.

Professor Goodwitch looked between the two to see if there would be any more pre-fight banter then called out, "Begin."

Blake raised Gambol Shroud and fired a hail of gunfire at the blonde. He dutifully raised his shield blocking himself from her line of sight. Blake used her semblance to push her body forward. The world blurred as she found herself several feet behind Jaune. His back exposed to her. She sighed as her blade extended to target his vitals from out of his line of vision.

_CLANG_

Jaune swung his sword wildly. It was a completely blind swing but it was fast enough to push her blade to the side. Instead of running through his side, her attack ran deep across his back and glanced off his armor. Blake blinked for a moment and smiled to herself. The satisfaction on her face was something no one would have been able to notice. She swung her leg out to sweep Jaune. The aura empowered kick knocked him off balance and onto the ground. Blake neatly finished her spin in a stand and Gambol Shroud switched back to its gun form.

Jaune quickly raised his shield in front of him as Blake opened fire.

Blake looked at the shield and kicked against it to push it away. The two struggled against moving the shield. Jaune was stronger than he let on against his spars with Cardin. The shield budged but it would slowly move back into position in between Jaune and the hail of aura infused dust cartridges. The only indicator that he changed tactics was the clatter of his sword.

Jaune let go of his sword and grabbed her foot from under his shield and pulled her anchored leg. Blake stumbled and was forced to kick off his stomach. It was enough for him to let go while he scrambled to his feet and swing with his sword one more time as she moved back.

_Clang._

The two swords made contact again. Blake could feel the blow as both swords stopped at the point of impact. Blake looked at her sword and knew she would have to give up the exchange. Gambol Shroud began to buckle under the pressure. Aura infused or not, it was still a thin blade made for slashes and quick stabs, not for the powerful sword to sword blows Jaune locked her in. She quickly kicked his knee from under his shield and he his body began to fall with a groan. Blake gave a nearly inaudible gasp as his eyes glared at her. It was her only warning before the reflected shine of his sword cut air towards her arm. Jaune ground out a yell as his sword hit Gambol Shroud awkwardly. Blake watched her weapon as it flew into the air.

Jaune eye shone a light as he pulled back his sword in mid-fall ready to thrust his sword one more time at Blake's exposed torso. It was only her reflexes that allowed her to grasp her weapon with her left arm and fired at Jaune's sword hand. He grunted as he dropped his weapon. Jaune landed unceremoniously on his shield arm. He looked up in time to see she had her gun pointed at him and this time, her foot was firmly on his forearm with the shield pinned down.

Blake breathed heavily now that the match had ended. She realized Jaune was just as out of breath. Blake swallowed and waited.

Jaune exhaled through his nose. "I surrender."

The buzz above them allowed them both to relax. Blake got off him with an apologetic shrug before she stood at attention. Jaune was less battered and bruised than he usually was and stood up quickly if a little gingerly from his sore knee.

"A very quick fight Ms. Belladonna. But one that had some merit. One should always be aware of unexpected counterattacks. Even lucky ones." She said the last bit to herself. Blake blinked and pulled her head back as if struck. No one in the crowd could hear it, but Jaune clearly did as he lowered his head. Blake's hackles raised at the injustice of it all.

Not noticing the change in Blakes demeanor Professor Goodwitch carried on, "In your previous match you had used a splendid combination of kicks and your snare to disable your opponent. It seems its a tactic that works for you. But be aware that not all opponents will be physically weaker than you."

Blake did not notice the glare she leveled at her professor. After half a pause where the Professor regarded the two combatants, Goodwitch cleared her throat before she almost reluctantly faced Jaune. "Mr. Arc while you did lose, you showed a match better than the last few rounds. Your speed was faster but not clean. You even demonstrated a rudimentary sense of where your opponent stood. It shows you do have an awareness of your surroundings despite your limitations. I expect to see the same speed and progress in your next match."

Blake silently stewed at that remark. It was not any different than what she said to other students, to Blake herself. But the _tone_. The total lack of acknowledgment that Jaune was a human being that had feelings. Blake snuck small glances at Jaune as he kept his head low. He thanked the professor in a voice that was far more gracious and thankful than he had a right to feel.

As the two walked back to their teams Blake felt a great amount of respect for the boy Ozpin kept in high esteem. "Jaune,"

Jaune seemed tired and defeated. He looked up from his moody thoughts. "Yeah?"

"It was a great match. Don't let her convince you it wasn't." With that she walked ahead of him. Blake parted ways with him as she sat back with her team.

Yang gave her partner a waggle of the eyebrows. It looks so ridiculous with that blonde hair, Blake turned and ignored her to repress the smile that threatened to come out.

"So Blake! Care to share with the class what that was about?"

Blake let the feeling of that smile fade and looked back to the Professor. She was not sure what she just saw, and she had no idea how long it had been going on. Was that a reason why Jaune was having such a hard time in this class? Because the teacher is like that? Did she even realize she was doing it? It didn't appear so since Goodwitch seemed surprised when Blake stared at her.

Blake sighed while Yang's suggestive smile broke into showing her 'pearly whites'. "It's not just Cardin that's bullying him."

Yang let her smile falter. "What?"

Blake looked sadly at Jaune who seemed much more upbeat around his team. It was like all four of them fed off each others energy. "I think Jaune knows but he hasn't said a thing about Professor Goodwitch to anyone. But she is definitely tearing down any kind of confidence he has built."

Yang blinked before she looked back to their professor who she called the next pair up to spar. "We should tell someone." Yang's brow furrowed. She already decided something should be done. Even after a month it still surprised Blake.

Blake sighed out. "Like who?"

Yang bit her lip. Professor Goodwitch was the deputy headmistress. "It would have to be Professor Ozpin…"

Blake exhaled as she had already made up her mind. Oh how she wished she didn't hear anything.

"When you're right, you're right."

-o-

On the way back to the dorm she had decided to go after dropping off her books. If only to speak to Ozpin as quickly as possible and not think about it afterwards. She did not show it to Yang but Professor Goodwitch's behavior surprised and shook her confidence at being safe in this school. What did Jaune do to earn the seemingly unjustifiable ire of a professor. Sure teachers would choose favorite students. But the backhandedness in how Professor Goodwitch spoke to Jaune just…

Blake folded her arms and hugged herself. The ding to the elevator made her refocus and try and relax. _Just voice your concern and go back_. She repeated to herself. No more questions or listening in as she was leaving. Not that Blake would deny that she truly regretted that she noticed Jaune's plight with the teacher. She was happy to help right a wrong. But everything else she learned along the way.

That despite the appearance. Jaune Arc was what Ozpin described. If only in small flashes.

"Good evening Headmaster. Thank you for seeing me."

Professor Ozpin reclined in his chair and gestured her to sit. "Good evening Ms. Belladonna. What can I do for you?"

Blake held in the sudden twitch from her ears hidden in her bow. "I wanted to voice my concern for something I saw in Sim Combat with Professor Goodwitch."

Ozpin nodded as he pressed a button on his desk and pulled up the appropriate files for the class. "What are your concerns?"

"Sir? Is it alright if you don't mention it was me that brought this up to Professor Goodwitch?"

Whatever the headmaster thought she was going to say, it was not what he expected. Instead of typing something on a form he had pulled up. He closed it and closed the terminal. "Of course. Was this something that happened today?"

Blake nodded. The headmasters gaze searched her and it made her shift uncomfortably. "I actually don't know how long it has been going, but I along with a few friends have noticed that Jaune Arc had been called up repeatedly to fight the same person since the start of the class. It has little value at this point since Jaune seemed unable to bypass a hurdle against this opponent. I had volunteered to fight him today just to have him fight someone else."

"You did this in sympathy."

Blake nodded. "Cardin is a bully and it's only exacerbated the bullying against Jaune. If it was that, I wouldn't have come to you. Bullying is bullying. And help is hard to accept." Blake paused and did not know this would be so hard to bring up. What she just said hit a little too close to home for her. "But when I sparred with Jaune today, I noticed that he had been receiving another kind of bullying no one noticed and from someone who we were not sure how to handle."

Ozpin lowered his eyes. "And that would be?"

"Professor Goodwitch. During our review she had some things to say to critique our spar. It was nothing I have not heard before but as she reviewed for Jaune there was definitely… an animosity. She did not want him to forget his shortcomings and she seemed perfectly happy with demeaning any kind of work he put in. It was hard to watch sir."

Ozpin nodded and folded his hands on top of the desk. "Thank you very much for telling me. You feel this isn't the first time?"

Blake nodded. "Yes sir. He has always been picked first every week and with the same person. Jaune always seemed upbeat until this weekly spar. I thought and most of my friends thought it was just loosing to his bully. But I am worried there is something else going on in those private talks for the review."

Ozpin nodded. "I'll review the recordings and speak to Professor Goodwitch shortly. Was there anything else you have observed between the two?"

Blake shook her head. "Nothing comes to mind."

The headmaster stood up and Blake stood up with him. "Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention Ms. Belladonna. If you ever notice anything else, please let me know." Blake nodded as she started to go to the elevator. "If I may part some words of advice?"

Blake turned back. "Of course sir." She folded her hands in front of her.

"Victims tend to be of one of two groups, those who would rally to defend themselves and those who wish the matter would fix themselves. Jaune may not appreciate your interference with a fight he could attempt to sort out himself, but in this case, I think it would help him to know someone took note and action."

Blake sighed. She really did not want to insert herself any more than she did into Jaune Arc's life. But when she was younger she would have wished for someone to let her know someone got what they deserved. "I may do that. Thank you."

Ozpin exhaled a single amused laugh. "Have a good night."

"Thank you for looking into this Headmaster. Goodnight." Blake walked back to the elevator and happily did not hear anything else as she pressed the button and descended the tower. Only time would tell if anything changed. But as she walked back to the dorm she wondered if she would follow through with the advice.

-o-

Blake let her hand glide up the railing as she walked up the stairs to her dorm level. The dorms for the first years were five stories tall and each level had its own lobby room. Unfortunately the lounge itself was impossible to avoid as the stairs led straight to it. When Blake looked around the room Ruby was at a table talking to Jaune. The rest of the two teams and a few others she was not familiar with talked casually in front of a TV and couch. Yang seemed to have caught her eye. She mouthed out, _Well?_ While she stole glances at Jaune who was otherwise occupied.

Blake had to wonder how Yang could be that manipulative at times. Ruby rarely spoke to Jaune without both teams being present. It was more of Ruby wanting to spend time with Weiss rather than to snub Jaune who were both of her friends. The fact it was just the two of them had Yang's fingerprints all over it.

Blake wanted to shake her head in frustration as she resigned herself to speaking to Jaune. Yang was right in her own way. Blake knew she should speak with him. If she didn't do it now, she would not do it at all.

Ruby waved at her as Blake walked up to their table. "Blake! Hi! What's up?"

Blake gave her leader a small smile. "I just wanted to speak to Jaune about something. Would that be alright Jaune? It would just be a moment."

Jaune looked surprised but nodded. "Sure, Just a sec Ruby."

"Don't worry Jaune I'll just go watch TV. Later!" Ruby got up and waved goodbye to give them some privacy. Blake watched her hop over to her team and nearly jump on top of Weiss before she somehow squeezed a spot on the already full couch. Weiss protests over Ruby's invasion of her personal bubble were stopped when Yang nearly threw the bowl of popcorn at her.

"That girl sometimes," Blake said fondly. "Jaune I wanted to say- What I should have said-." Blake stopped unsure how she was supposed to bring this up.

Jaune smiled at her. He motioned her to sit which she did. Instead of asking for more he just changed topics. "I was just talking to Ruby about the trip next week for our teams to Forever Fall. She wanted to see if we could all group and do some exploring after we are done with whatever we do up there. I was going to talk it over with my team but I am pretty sure we are going to go with that plan."

Blake couldn't thank him enough for the distraction. "That sounds good. She had always gone on about how our teams should work more often. She mentioned group training sessions but it seems it never happened."

Jaune sighed and admitted. "That would be because of Pyrrha. She has a strict training regime for herself and it is hard to pull her away from it once she starts. I am tempted to just pull rank and tell her we are doing this. But…"

Blake nodded. "Perhaps you should."

Jaune blinked. It bothered him more than he cared to admit, "I don't want to be a leader that orders people around. So I have been pushing off talking to her."

Blake shook her head as she offered, "I didn't mean it like that. Just give her the reasons why your team should go to the dual training session. I am sure she is reasonable."

"I'll try that. Thanks." Jaune smiled at her which she tentatively returned in kind. He looked back over to his team. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Blake's brow twitched at the sudden question. If he noticed anything he didn't mention it as he looked back at her. She carefully started with, "I actually wanted to check and ask if what Professor Goodwitch said today was normal."

Jaune leaned back in his chair. It was a defeated gesture. "It's pretty normal for me. I am not sure what I can do about it."

Blake leaned forward against the table. She almost felt guilty as she admitted. "I spoke to the headmaster about it."

Jaune looked up. "What?" His voice was panicked as he gripped the table.

Blake waved her hand for him to calm down. "He would look into it. His words not mine. I was very..." Blake struggled to find the words. Why had she helped him? Without so much as having a conversation with him before today. It really came down to the bullying. "frustrating to see her do that to anyone. And if you had been having that on top of Cardin- Do not deny that Jaune. Give me some credit. Please?" As he started to voice a protest. It died in his throat. "I have felt some things like that before and no one ever offered to help, much less look at me. I couldn't let you have the same from someone so far above us."

Jaune slumped forward his arms folding on the table and his chin rested on top. "Thank you Blake." It was all he could say. There was nothing else to add and Jaune just sat there. Neither relieved nor thankful. Blake almost decided that was all he would say.

"Thank you for the match too by the way." Blake looked at him as he sat back up. Some energy returned to his eyes. "I mean it. Other than the occasional spars with Pyrrha and the beat downs from Cardin, It was the first time I felt I was able to fight back."

Blake allowed herself to look relieved at his returned vigor. "All the more reason to have the group training sessions. You just don't have the combat experience. I wasn't lying when I said you did well in our spar. It was just combat-experience that you are missing."

Jaune gave her a relaxed look. It spoke volumes of the gratitude he felt for those words. Jaune sighed as he scratched his head. "That just leaves Cardin, doesn't it?"

Blake gave him a questioning look. Jaune shrugged as he said, "Hopefully Ozpin will address the problems with Professor Goodwitch. That's out of our hands. But I still have a problem. I can't just do nothing now that you helped with half the battle. Right?"

Blake actually laughed at that. "That's the survivor I heard about."

"Survivor?"

Blake blinked and embarrassingly admitted, "Before initiation I had a private interview with the headmaster. I was admitted into Beacon by recommendation so the interview was more to see what kind of person I was before I was accepted. When I was leaving I heard him mention you by name. He said you were driven since you crossed a line no one else dared to. That you were a survivor. I don't know what you did, but you earned his respect."

Jaune stared at her completely surprised. It was as if he had all the strength sapped from him for a moment before he laughed. "He knew." Jaune kept laughing so loudly that it brought the attention of the others. He waved them off. Yang looked to Blake in question. She could do little but shrug at what just happened, equally as clueless. "Sorry Blake. I was a little too arrogant- yeah that's definitely the word, arrogant to think he wouldn't have picked up on that."

Blake watched as Jaune seemed to have become far more relaxed. The difference was tangible. His shoulders were low and his checks less pinched. It was as if he heard the best news in the world.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" she ventured.

"It was something personal. Maybe in time I will let you all know. It was not the best moment of my life. But thank you for telling me."

Blake could understand and let it go. "I am glad I could help Jaune." And she felt it. She saw his relaxed stance even while they had both sat at the table. It was rewarding to see she had helped do that.

Jaune looked around the room. It was getting on in the evening but not too late to turn in. He sighed as the group watched tv. "It looks like they are still watching that cop drama. I really hope Nora doesn't find a new favorite quote."

Blake snorted. "Those shows are such a blatant lie. You can't have all the answers by looking around only once. And now I have to ask, what has she been quoting?"

Jaune nodded. His good mood seemed to spread to her. "Nora mentioning one episode they had watched last week where the mob broke someone's legs. It's been her favorite line ever since. I am sure the store we visited in Vale thought she was serious."

Blake shook her head. "Yeah that really doesn't sound good out of context." She responded sarcastically.

Jaune whimpered out a nervous laugh, "Vale was bad enough when it was once. We are getting looks in the halls now. I kinda wish Cardin would take those threats seriously though."

Jaune looked up and thought about it with a smile slowly creeping onto his mouth. Blake beat him to it and started to laugh. "That is awful."

"But warranted" Jaune defended. The couch was too crowded for them to join, but they both sat comfortably at the table while they took turns to point out flaws in the show and the leaps of logic they made. It was the first night in Beacon that Blake did not read the night away. She did not miss the time she lost.

-o-

"Well. Wonders never cease." Blake sat with her team the following Monday in Professor Goodwitch's class. Ozpin was good as his word. Not that he would ever say what had happened. It was actually Jaune himself that kept her updated in their nearly daily afternoon chats.

While the chats were never long, hardly ten minutes, the two had taken to speak briefly whenever they spotted each other in the lounge. It was during one of these chats two days after speaking with the headmaster that Jaune told her about it. Professor Goodwitch had spoken to with him and apologized. Jaune said the apology was simple and contrite. The professor had admitted to a bias and she had carried it into the classroom.

Blake was only half convinced Goodwitch was sincere. By the following Monday Blake was ready to throttle someone at seeing Jaune being called first _again_. That was until the professor had picked someone else for Jaune to fight. A young man Sesu. The teen was of a team she was not familiar with, not even on her levels dorm. He had long hair in an array of colors going from black to fading blonde. Sesu greeted Jaune politely and the two's spar was something closer to what he had with Blake rather than Jaune versus Cardin.

Blake clapped politely at the end of the fight. It was the first time she had done so for anyone outside of her team. Ruby and team Juniper cheered happily at the end of the match. It ended in Jaune's loss but that was not why they had cheered. It was because of how even it was. Jaune fought until the end of the allotted five minutes of the match and only loss due to having slightly less aura on his meter compared to his opponent.

Blake had to agree that the woman was being fair to Jaune. Judging from how upbeat Jaune was walking back to his team, Goodwitch had been good as her word and made an effort to be more fair. Blake sighed as she looked back to the names for the next round to be called.

Blake was happy to have made a friend out of the whole ordeal. And she was confident to say Jaune was now a friend. He had always been respectful of her privacy and space and only ever just made himself available if she wished to speak to him. Ruby was the first to notice it. And Blake could feel a little flattered that Jaune was that considerate. That night she had pointed out what he did and she allowed a slight teasing giggle at his blushed cheeks.

The next morning was the trip for Forever Fall. Blake felt her shoulders jostle against the turbulence as she saw her leader Ruby stand. She glanced over to Juniper and spotted Jaune and Pyrrha had shared a laugh at something Nora had said before Ruby waved to get everyone's attention.

"Alright boys and girls!" Ruby immediately slapped Weiss' raised hand. "Shush Weiss, no one needs your logic now! We are going to hit Forever Fall in under ten minutes. Make sure you pair off with a member from the other team! That is going to be your sparing teammate for the next skirmish on Saturday."

Blake smiled at the enthusiasm. She glanced over to Pyrrha and Jaune. It looked like he had been able to get her to agree to the joint exercises. She was tempted to ask him how he managed that. The ship landed with a lurch as the Bullhead doors opened. Blake stepped out of their ship. It appeared theirs was one of the final ships to land for the class. The open field was littered with the ships with three adult huntsmen standing by to guard them.

"You ready Blake?" Blake turned back to her partner.

"Sure Jaune. Although I was surprised when you said you wanted to be my partner."

Jaune grinned before he pointed over to Pyrrha and Ruby. Blake's leader appeared to be pulling the older girl by the hand determined to lead the whole group to the jars for their project. "Since I convinced Pyrrha, Ruby has been all over her for tips about fighting. Poor Pyrrha has never been one to say no to a please."

Blake followed along. "I assume that was how you finally convinced her."

Jaune sighed and looked up at the sky. "It was way easier than I thought it would be. I think we had a misunderstanding that we didn't pick up on until after the whole team talked. We have been more open on what we think and it's helped. I usually just go with the flow, Pyrrha is too polite and Ren is too quiet for us to be the way we are. So we all had to compromise and all be more outgoing or we would have Nora demanding pancakes and strawberries every morning."

Blake frowned. "Didn't you have pancakes for three days last wee- oh!" Blake picked up her jar and nodded to Weiss and Nora. "That looks like a pair ready for disaster."

"You can blame Yang for that one, she felt Ren would be easier to ask for information on the pair. Yang is going to be disappointed at how blase he is about everything."

Blake kept the nearly inaudible laugh to her self. "Come on Jaune, let's go find some sap."

-o-

In terms of afternoons, Blake would easily admit this was one of the better ones she had in months. The two teams had gotten on- "Nora! Please stop. That is the fifth jar!" mostly got on. Blake amended with a smile.

Blake and Jaune had finished quickly and had actually spent most of their time walking between the different pairs to talk to them. As far as team exercises go, this was a good one. Blake had not revealed so much about herself to her team and here she was just talking about her life before Beacon. With Adam and the White Fang. Granted she never gave names or the name of the organization. But that was beside the point. Jaune had been everything including patient when she had shared her own experiences of injustice.

Blake gave him a few looks at the sly way he had brought them up too. It first started with a "You know, you were the first to point out Cardin would be a problem on the first day. How did you know?"

Blake _had_ said that but it was meant for her team. She did not realize that Jaune was so close to Ruby that the young girl had shared the story with him. Blake never pictured Jaune as the philosophical type either. But she supposed bad experiences were still experiences and those make everyone a little wiser.

Blake looked down as Jaune knelt next to Ruby and Pyrrha. The pair had been staring at the jar debating between themselves for the last three minutes.

"Ruby if you are really going to try and drink it, get a second jar to start pulling sap now. Nora convinced everyone else to try once and every one of them drank the whole jar." Jaune warned. Blake looked around and saw that indeed Yang, Weiss and Ren all had smears around their mouths from imbibing the sweet syrup.

Blake blinked at something that was flying towards them.

Blake felt Pyrrha and Ruby behind her and she raised her hand to try and catch the flying jar only for the lid to finally fly off spilling syrup in the air. Jaune stepped in front of her as it collided with this armor and shattered, spreading syrup on his face and neck.

"Hey, Jauney Boy!" Jaune gave Cardin an annoyed glare as the bully banged his hand against a cardboard box. "Catch!" Jaune didn't know what was in it, but he pushed Blake away as it landed near his feet. A nest of some kind of wasps flew out and started attacking him. The insects flew so fast he barely had a moment to concentrate to flex his aura into place. That didn't stop a few of them to get through as several angry welts spread against his cheek and collar.

Blake looked around, his aura was just a temporary fix. They had to take care of the wasps. "Anyone got something to fry these?"

Jaune ignored her as the wasps circled him. "Cardin!" Blake looked back along with Ruby and Pyrrha. None of them heard him so angry before. Pyrrha stood up and was ready to go after him but Blake pulled both Ruby and Pyrrha. When they both looked at her, she could feel the confusion and betrayal.

"Just wait, Jaune needs this." _I hope_. Blake silently prayed. Her ears perked at what Cardin said to his team. The faunus scowled before she looked over to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha had been the original target. They only decided to just throw it at the group when they couldn't aim at Jaune's partner directly. Blake glanced at Jaune who swayed slightly. _He doesn't look good._

Jaune felt the angry stings seep blood down his face and neck. Whatever these things were they made sure to make whatever they attack bleed. Jaune wiped the blood from his face as he covered the ground towards Cardin. Jaune completely ignored the wasps that buzzed around him when Cardin was finally in front of him.

Cardin smirked as he leaned back from the hive that surrounded Jaune. "What's wrong Jaune? You -ah look like you have something on your shoulder there."

A particularly angry wasp burrowed its stinger deep into multiple times near Jaune's collarbone. Jaune did not even react to it. "That wasn't aimed at me. Was it?"

Cardin and his team laughed at the welts that began to build on his face. "It looks like your aura is failing you there Jaune. Maybe you should go back to basic and figure that out."

Jaune grabbed Cardin by the collar of the bigger teens armor and pulled the taller teen to his face. The noise Cardin's breastplate made was unmistakable as metal crumpled under Jaune's glowing hand. Cardin's body lurched and his chest was suddenly constricted by his own armor. Jaune's voice was completely calm when he glared back at the bully. "It appears to be working just fine Cardin." Jaune shook him to make sure Cardin looked at him. "I don't care if you pick on me. Because I know I can take it. But if you go after my friends again. My team again. _Anyone_ one I care about. There is nothing you can do to make sure I don't see you suffer. Got it?"

Cardin struggled to breathe under the constrained chest piece but nodded at Jaune. Jaune let the other teen go and walked back to his friends. The wasps seemed to have calmed and only a few seemed to bother to stick around for the actual sap. Blood seemed to seep into his sweater and Jaune uncomfortably wiped down the wounds with his hood. The had stings had already begun to swell around his neck.

"Just stand still, I'll see what I can do." Jaune felt his right eye slowly swelled shut. He just nodded, suddenly too tired to say anything. He closed both of his eyes as Weiss raised a hand and several glyphs surrounded him. Jaune exhaled and it clouded around his mouth as the air condensed and cooled. The remaining wasps dropped frozen and dead. Chunks of the viscous sap froze to his breastplate before he could chip them off.

He looked over Weiss and gave her a grateful nod. "Thank you Weiss. Did everyone get their sap?"

Everyone looked around guiltily. In spite of the pain, Jaune just laughed a single lone rumble against his sore neck. "Take your time. I'm heading to our bullhead. Hopefully they have some medical supplies."

Pyrrha looked like she wanted to say something but Blake beat her to it. "I'll walk him. We have our jars already and you all are mostly done. We'll see you guys in a bit."

The two had walked halfway to the ships when Jaune swayed. Blake looked at him concerned. "Jaune?"

He stopped walking and closed his one good eye. "Just a little dizzy." He gasped as he felt her arm go under his. She helped steady him at his armpit. He slowly opened his good eye and she tapped his bicep to comfort him.

"Let's get you to that bullhead and you can rest."

Jaune felt exhausted for some reason and just nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Blake sighed as she let him rest on her shoulder. "Thank you Jaune."

Jaune seemed too tired to pay attention but he opened his good eye and tilted his head. "Mmm? For what?"

Blake simply reaffirmed her grip on his arm. "For covering for us."

Jaune simply grunted as they walked. It was a few minutes before he answered, "Any time."

Blake led him the rest of the way. Jaune eventually closed even his good eye as the pain started to build up. Blake thought the sudden use of aura didn't help either. Eventually she even felt more of his warmth as he started to rely more and more on leaning against her to keep steady.

Blake leaned back to help him. She ignored her classmates who looked at the pair in surprise. A few offered to help but there was not much they could do she had not done her self. Blake gave them all a polite thank you but kept walking.

"We're here Jaune. Sit down here. I'm going inside and asking the pilot."

Jaune simply nodded while he sank down on the grass. Blake started to move quickly up the ramp and to the cockpit. "Excuse me?"

The pilot looked up. Without the helmet Blake saw it was a woman. "Do you have any medical supplies on board? My teammate was attacked by some kind of wasps."

The woman hopped down and pulled a white metal box from under her pilot seat. "Where is he?"

Blake led the pilot outside where the pilot already moved ahead of her to check on him. She opened the box and looked at the welts. "Some of the stingers are still in his skin. Kid, this is going to hurt."

Jaune nodded as he held his breath. He grunted and his voice pitched high as the first one was pulled out along with some blood. Blake soon found out why. The stingers themselves had a single hooked sharpened barb. She knelt next to Jaune and reached for his hand. He gripped it tightly as another barb was pulled. This one was harder to pull up and light tried to surround the wound before it let the stinger go. Jaune felt his good eye water as if something tore. The pilot was quick to cover the wound with some cotton. She reached for her communicator on her shoulder with a "Tsk. This is Bullhead three zero nine'er requesting medical assistance from an aura user. Injured student has unstable aura reserves and is interfering with medical treatment."

"We'll give it a second. I don't want to do any more harm than good."

Jaune simply nodded as he blinked away a tear. Blake kept her hand on his.

-o-

Blake felt guilty when the bullhead took off with just her and Jaune. But the medic on hand took one look at Jaune and ordered them back to Beacon. Jaune was laid down on a flat board for a stretcher and strapped down to the floor of the ship. Blake had forgone sitting in her seat and sat with her legs cross next to him on the floor. She would occasionally reach for his hand when he stirred before he fell back asleep.

The medic sighed. "It was unfortunate that he was the target of the wasps. If it was anyone else their aura would have protected most of the damage and what damage they would have taken probably would have been healed naturally. Unfortunately for him, his looks to have been unlocked recently. He does not have the innate control."

Blake wondered at that. "It was just unlocked?"

The medic nodded. "Probably right before school started. It's unusual but not rare. I would have thought he would have had some kind of class to help bring him up to speed. But it looks like those classes never happened. When we get back to Beacon we are actually going to have to suppress his aura so we can extract the stingers and make sure there is no lingering toxin in his bloodstream. Rapier wasps are nasty little things."

Blake immediately thought of the barbed stinger. "Why are they called rapier wasps with a stinger like that?"

"It's for the exit wound. It's always a clean slice with the barb to make it larger so the attacker bleeds. The wasps tend to choose an area and puncture the skin several times in a small area before they are satisfied. These are not native to this area and are fairly benign until agitated. Any idea where they came from?"

Blake glared at the thought. "Yes, I know exactly where they came from." The medic started taking notes and names of the event as it had happened. He reminded her that he would need to interview a few other people that were with them and to spread the word to make themselves available to the clinic when they all got back. Blake promised to let them all know.

-o-

Blake turned the page of the magazine. It was something about fashion that she had no real interest in but it was a welcome distraction while Jaune slept off the medication in the private room. The clinic inside Beacon had over a dozen such rooms for the students to recover. This one had the lone bed and two chairs along with some magazines that have not been replaced in a few months.

Blake looked at Jaune's monitor. His aura would help heal him faster after he rested to recover it. It blinked low compared to his resting aura before a training session. It seemed as if he used a lot of it when he did whatever he did to Cardin.

Professor Goodwitch had checked on them when as soon as the teacher's ship had landed. When the professor seem satisfied he received the care he needed she left and stated she would be speaking to the team that did this.

Blake was not sure how to take that statement. Only time would tell if Goodwitch would follow through. Blake would happily admit she had not forgiven the older woman.

Blake closed the magazine as the door opened again. "Hello." She said as Jaune's team walked in followed by her own. She stood up and allowed his team to crowd around his sleeping form. When Pyrrha looked over to her, Blake answered the unasked question. "He's fine. They actually just put him under to allow his aura to recover. He used a lot of it when he spoke to Cardin." That got a few confused looks. They had not seen him use any aura. Blake had a little advantage on them in that regard. "Cardin's armor was warped thanks to Jaune. I am pretty sure Jaune wasn't even aware he used aura when he grabbed the jerk." Blake turned back to Jaune who rested peacefully. "Once his aura recovers enough, it will heal him faster than anything they could do for him."

Blake let her eyes wander over Jaune's swollen face. His lip was distorted in an angry red bulge that ran down his neck and into a raw red rash of flesh across the top of his shoulder.

Blake thought about what the medic said. It was something that she felt his team should know. Blake hoped he would forgive for it. "Weiss, Yang, Ruby? Could you all leave for a second? I think his team should know something but its kinda personal."

Her team looked between her and his team unsure what to make of it, but as always, Yang quickly wrapped an arm around the two smaller girls. "No problem! We'll be outside, just let us know when its good to come back in." She gave Blake a wink before the three left.

"I really should do something for her." Blake reminded her self. Yang was the best partner she could have asked for. Blake sighed as she looked at Jaune's team. "I may upset him for telling you all but you need to know if you didn't already. Jaune's aura was recently unlocked. He actually was so bad off because he did not know how to regulate it properly."

Pyrrha gasped and covered her mouth. Nora and Ren looked at each other before Nora asked, "As in how recent?"

"It was during initiation," Pyrrha answered for Blake.

Blake looked at the redhead. "You knew?"

Pyrrha put a hand to her cheek and looked flustered. "I was the one that unlocked it. I found out he did not even know what aura was. I never thought about it afterward. But he wouldn't have any training with it at all."

Blake leaned back against the wall. _Survivor indeed_. She thought with a shake of her head. _Suicidal is more like it_.

"He will need some practice training it. The medic said that if it was unlocked the school should have given him a class to learn about it. But that never happened. I just thought you guys should know and get him some help."

Pyrrha looked at her leader. "We can do that." She looked down.

"Pyrrha it's fine. This isn't something anyone would normally think about." Ren offered peacefully.

Nora wrapped her arm around the girls' shoulder. "It just means we get to have training camps!"

Blake watched Ren's shudder before she glanced back to Jaune. Blake hoped she didn't imagine that the swelling was already going down. When she looked up to the monitor, his aura levels were already regenerated halfway. Hopefully he wouldn't be in the room for more than a day.

-o-

Blake watched the spar as her partner sat down next to her. Jaune had gone to get some water for the two of them now they had finished their spar against Yang and Ren. "Good match. How's Jaune? He seemed chipper this morning."

"I think he was just happy to have no more swelling on his face."

Yank gave a long drawn out hmm and gave Blake a sly look that the faunus girl tried her best to ignore. Finally Yang asked, "You sure he isn't the only one?"

Blake's back stiffened and her ears stood up inside the folds of her ribbon. "Ha…. I am sure his team is too."

Yang laughed and nudged her partner's side. "What were you going to do after this?" Yang looked up in time to see Pyrrha throw Ruby at Weiss.

Weiss nearly squealed as Nora screamed, "I GOT THIS!" and swung her hammer at Weiss to launch the girl at Ruby.

Blake ran her hand over her face. "What is team Juniper even doing…"

It wasn't lost on either Yang or Blake that everyone in Juniper seemed to like throwing their partner across the field.

Yang tilted her head. "Well?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "Reading like always. I might come outside to read for a bit… Why?"

"Oh nothing, It was a nice day and I planned to go down to the sparring room and see what cute guy will make the mistake to spar with me." She groped the air to emphasize her meaning.

"Then I will not be joining you. I would rather read."

Yang stuck her tongue out her partner. "I wasn't suggesting you come along. But there _is_ a guy who seems perfectly happy to spend some time with you."

Blake decided to not look at Jaune as he walked back with two bottles of water, one for each of them. "Yang please stop. It's not like that."

Yang laughed at the joke. "Sure whatever. Just ask him what he is going to do after this." Yang got up and dusted off the dirt off her ass. She waved to Jaune as she walked away.

Jaune gave the other blonde a confused look before he smiled and handed Blake a water bottle. "Here you go. Good match."

Blake took it, "Good match. Thanks for the water. What is it with your team and throwing people?"

Jaune coughed into his water bottle. "What?"

"FLY MY PRETTY!"

"I am NOT your pretty!" Weiss flew in an arc before she cast a glyph to righten her self and thrust at Pyrrha who skillfully parried the long distance thrust.

"Oh, I am actually not sure. We all just like flying through the air and none of us are fast enough to do it on our own I guess."

Blake shook her head as she relaxed next to him. "Your team is weird."

"I like them." Jaune laughed.

Blake could feel Yang's gaze on her back. She refused to turn around to see her partner no doubt mouth out the word _ask._ Blake had vowed at the start of the year to not get involved with anything. It was her curiosity that got her into trouble all those years ago. She took in Jaune as he sat relaxed while watching the last spar and she couldn't help it...

She was curious.

"We are almost done. What are you doing after this?"

Jaune grinned. "I'm going to the bookstore in Vale, a new comic came out yesterday. Unfortunately the team has to finish some homework that I did while I was laid up in bed so I'm going by myself. Did you want to come?"

Blake laughed. Yang could be terrifying sometimes. She looked over to Jaune who just smiled and waited. Blake leaned in to nudge him. "Sure. I have nothing better to do."

A/N: I actually talked to a few people who had been writing a Blake-centric fic and it got me curious what I could do. And naturally, a reviewer was curious what I could do with a different pairing besides JaunexWeiss. I always thought if there was romance for Blake it would be a much slower thing than any of the other girls. Corrected a few errors and cleaned up a bit too. This was the first time in a long while where I purposefully kept the story to perspective. It really does feel different writing to one point of view.


End file.
